Research
By any measure, Berkeley is one of the top research institutions in the world. One of the best ways to benefit from cutting-edge Berkeley faculty research is to get directly involved. You can join a faculty-led research project as an apprentice or assistant, or you can develop your own proposal for independent research and become the project’s principal investigator.
Apprentice-type programs—like the campuswide URAP or the College of Engineering’s UROP—help make the initial contact with a particular faculty member easier. In some departments, especially biological sciences, students often approach faculty directly. Undergraduate major advisers (or websites) can steer you toward the right lab group.
Designing your own research is another way to get involved. Once you have built your basic skills, you can begin to think about your own study, perhaps as a senior thesis or a special project. A faculty mentor (or thesis director) can help you stay focused and develop skills in asking and answering research questions that really matter.
You can do research in any field: from protons to poetry! While funding for research is in short supply, there are grants available for research expenses, living expenses, and travel. Some programs also offer academic enrichment activities. Check online for details (research.berkeley.edu).
The Library Prize for Undergraduate Research is awarded each spring. It recognizes outstanding examples of undergraduate library research in any discipline. As many as six prizes are awarded: $750 to lower-division students, and $1000 to upper-division students. Winners and their faculty sponsors are recognized at a reception given in their honor in the Doe Library (www.lib.berkeley.edu/researchprize).
Publish your research
Berkeley Scientific, an award-winning journal of the sciences, and Berkeley Undergraduate Journal, which publishes outstanding academic work in the humanities and social sciences, are just two examples of student-run journals dedicated to publishing the research of Cal students. Check the website to find links to other journals that seek undergraduate research papers, to get instructions for submitting a paper, or to get information about joining a journal’s staff (research.berkeley.edu).
Office of Undergraduate Research
The Office of Undergraduate Research offers students diverse opportunities to become engaged in Berkeley research. Weekly workshops help undergraduates get started in research and in writing proposals. The Researcher listserv and the campus Undergraduate Research Calendar keep you informed about funding, info sessions, and deadlines. Find out more about the research experience and connect with these resources at the website (research.berkeley.edu; 301 Campbell Hall; research@learning.berkeley.edu; 510/643-5376).
Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP)
Highly motivated undergraduates can apply for semester or year-long opportunities to gain skills working on faculty-led research projects; more than 1,000 students from all majors participated last year! Undergraduates with a 2.0 GPA or above are eligible to apply, and those selected may enroll in Undergraduate and Interdisciplinary Studies (UGIS 192, 1-4 units, P/NP). Descriptions of projects are available in May and December for the fall and spring semesters respectively (research.berkeley.edu/urap; 301 Campbell Hall; urap@learning.berkeley.edu; 510/643-5376).
Haas Scholars Program
Students with one or two more semesters remaining at Berkeley, a minimum 3.5 GPA, and need-based financial aid eligibility, can apply for funding for a research, field study, or creative project launched in the summer before their final year or semester. Twenty Haas Scholars (selected annually) receive a summer/academic year living stipend, a research budget of up to $12,600, and intellectual enrichment activities. The application deadline is in mid-February (research.berkeley.edu/haas_scholars; 345 Campbell Hall; haas_scholars@learning.berkeley.edu; 510/643-5374).
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program (SURF)
The SURF program allows undergraduates to spend the summer doing concentrated research in preparation for a senior thesis or other major capstone research project. Currently limited to students in the College of Letters & Science, 50 fellows receive $3250 stipends to cover basic living expenses for two summer months. Additional funding may be available for students with established financial need (research.berkeley.edu/surf).
Summer Research Opportunities for Underserved Undergraduates
The Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP) at UC Berkeley was established to promote access to graduate education for undergraduates who have been educationally or economically disadvantaged, or who may not have had exposure to the academic environment of a research university.
The 10-week program offers research experience in the humanities, and in the biological, physical, and social sciences for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. For eligibility criteria and program information, contact the Graduate Diversity Program (www.grad.berkeley.edu/diversity/diversity.shtml; 318 Sproul Hall; grad.diversity@berkeley.edu; 510/643-6010).
Other opportunities for undergraduate students are available, such as the 10-week Amgen Scholars Program for students in the sciences and biotechnology (mcb.berkeley.edu/amgen/).
Check the website of the Office of Undergraduate Research (research.berkeley.edu); the publication, Continue the Journey, (ucop.edu/journey/main.html); or visit the Career Center for more summer research opportunities (career.berkeley.edu; 2111 Bancroft Way; 510/642-1716).
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities (URO) Program in the College of Engineering
The College of Engineering’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities (URO) program provides undergraduate students in the College of Engineering (or any Berkeley undergraduate taking appreciable coursework) the opportunity to participate in research with engineering faculty members. Students benefit from the hands-on experience and receive a small stipend upon completion. Applications are due in the middle of the semester before you plan to do research (coe.berkeley.edu/uro; College of Engineering Student Affairs Office, 308 McLaughlin Hall; 510/642-7594).
Be a Guinea pig!
You can participate in research on campus from an entirely different angle by using the various test-subject programs available at Cal. Just be sure to run some extra laps in your metal wheel after you gorge on all of your food pellet rewards.
The Research Subject Volunteer Program (RSVP) connects you with distinguished researchers in areas ranging from psychology and social science to optometry and neuroscience. There are over 3,900 volunteer members and dozens of paid studies actively seeking qualified participants. A number of options including focus groups, online surveys, and imaging studies are available (rsvp.alkamai.org; rsvp@alkamai.org).
Xlab, or the Experimental Social Science Laboratory, conducts experiment-based investigations of issues of interest to social scientists. Subjects are paid for each experiment participated in, and sign-ups are conducted online (xlab.berkeley.edu; F502 Haas School of Business; xlab@econ.berkeley.edu; 510/642-4159).